Packaging tray



Feb. 5, 1952 N. J. WATSON EFAL PACKAGING TRA? Filed Aug. 26, 1949 RS aiswz Patented Feb. 5, 1952 LAQ SAGING TRAY Nathan 1. Watson, Sioux Gity, Iowa, and John Q.

Roche, Chicago, Ill., assignors to Chicago Carton Gompany, 'Ghicag Delaware o,"Ill'.,- a corporation i.

Application, August 26, 1949, Serial'No. 11.2,474

9 Glairns. (Cl. 229-42) This invention relates to a packaging tray and more particularly, to a tray-like separator for packaging and holding merchandise in predetermined arrangement for enclosure in anouter, usually transparent wrapper, so that the goods are clearly displayed.

The main objects of the invention are to provide a packaging device of the character indicated which may be made by low-cost manufacturing operations; to provide such adevice which will embody a simple rectangular blank of material, and which will not require the removal and wasting of any of the material; to provide a onepiece foldable tray structure whereby a plurality of compartments or divisions are formed for separating articles or groups of articles from each other while also holding such articles or groups of articles in the desired fixed relationship to each other; and to provide such adevice which can be fabricated in flat sheet-like form and readily converted to tray form sothat quantities of the device may be advantageously stored in flat, knock-down form and shipped in that form from the maker to the user.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood by reference to the following specification and accompanyingdrawing in which there. is illustrated a packaging tray structure embodying a selected form of the invention.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a plan of a flat blank cut and scored so as to be foldable to form the desiredtray structure;

Fig. 2 is a plan of the tray formed by folding up the blank of Fig. 1 along predetermined lines;

Figs. 3 and 4 are end and side elevations re spectively, of the tray shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective illustrating one form of a package which is adapted to be made with the illustrated tray structure.

The tray structure about to be described and shown in the drawing is made of foldablepaperboard of' a weight which will provide the desired degree of stiifness or rigidity to the package tobe formed, and which will adequately support and protect the goods packaged therein. In this instance, the tray is designed for the packaging of bakery products such as sandwich-cookies, but other uses for the tray will appear and; are within the scope of the invention.

The blank for forming the tray comprises, a, rectangular, in this instance a square blank I, of suitable paperboard. This blank is, slitted along. spaced lines 2 extending across thev blank in one direction and along transversely extending lines 3 and 4*, the lines 3 and 4 extending respectively from the opposite ends of the lines 2' and terminating in short slits Fr and E which are parallel with the main slits 2. The short slits 5 and 6 are joined by fold lines 1 formed in any suitable manner as by creasing or scoring.

In this instance there are illustrated 3 sets of slit and score lines 2, 3, 4, 5,, 6" and}, and they respectively define panels 8, 9 and t9,- which are foldable about the respective fold lines I from the normal plane of the blank l to upstanding, perpendicular relation thereto.

Longitudinally aligned fold lines H and longitudinall'y aligned fold lineslZ provided in portions of the blank intermediate adjacent panels 8 9 and i9, and in the opposite marginal portions of the blank, are provided to facilitate folding of side panel portions [3 and I4 respectively, to upwardly extending, perpendicular relation to the normal plane of the blank. As shown, the fold lines H and I: are spaced inwardly from the end-forming slits 3 and 4. e

The blank is set up to form a tray by first folding the side panel portions l3 and it upwardly on the fold lines It and I2, and thereafter folding the panels 8, 9 and I'll upwardly on their respective fold lines 1. The panels 8, 9 and it) are provided with slits l5 and t6 respectively, in alignment with the fold lines H and 12 so that when the panels 8, 9 and t0" are folded, up.- wardly as aforesaid, overlying portions. of the side panels l3 and [4' can be received in such slits I5 and I5. End portions of the panels B, 9 and" Ill outwardly of the slits l5 and t6 Will, accordingly, extend beyond the fold'ed' up side panels [3' and I 4; as is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The relatively narrow transversely extending portions. ll', l8, I9 and 29 of the blank consiti'tute, in effect, bottom ledges for the compartments formed on opposite sides of the partitions, 8. 9 and H).

To facil tate settin up of, the tray, V- pe slits Z! and 22 are provided at the entrance ends of the slits f5. and Hi respectively, these vshaped slits serving, when the p n ls. nd

'll are folded upwa dly, form funnel-l ke e trainees lQ: the, slits [5. and 5.. Because of these wen-mouth entrances. to the slits l5 and [6. it is not necessary that the side panels. l3 and 14 be accurately positioned in their f nal position in order that. the panels 8', 9 and Ill may be folded up. This, flaring entrance to. the slits l5 and is. is of material. aid in the operation of setting up. the tray and, as shown, it is formed; without removing any material from the blank since the 3 material which is, in effect, removed from the panels 8, 9 and Ill is permitted to remain attached to the bottom-forming ledges II, I8 and I9. As shown, these V-shaped slits 2I and 22 interrupt the respective slits 2.

The slits I and I6 may be simple straight slits but it is advantageous to provide an undulating or saw-toothed shaped slit as shown, to the end that the panels 8, 9 and ID will more effectively grip the respective side panels I3 and I4 when the blank is set up. This amplified grip of the panels 8, 9 and III on the side panels I3 and I4 may be further aided by providing detents or projections such as indicatedat 23 on the lower edges of the side panels I3 and I4 immediately in front of the panels 8, 9 and II! when they are set up. These ears 23 mayconveniently be provided by making portions of the slits 3 and 4 V-shaped as shown in Fig. 1.

When the transverse partitions 8, 9 and III are folded up, the opposing teeth formed on these panels on opposite sides of the slits I5 and IE will be more or less deformed by the entrance of the side panels I3 and I4 into the slits so that said teeth will exert a fairly strong grip on the side panels. These slit lines I5 and I6 are of such length that the ears 23 will also pass through the slits. Since the ears 23 do not remain between the teeth on opposite sides of the slits I5 and I6, one or two of the teeth at the bottom ends of the slits return substantially to their normal closed position as an incident to the inherent resiliency of the board material of which the tray is made. These closed-up teeth therefore extend across the adjacent edges of the cars 23 and constitute stops which provide furside partitions I3 and I4 immediately in front of the projecting end portions of said transverse partitions 8, 9 and I 9.

As represented in Fig. 5, two sandwich-cookies C are located outside of the respective partitions I3 and I4 immediately in front of the prom jecting end portion of the transverse partitions 8, 9 and I9, and eight such sandwich-cookies are packaged intermediate the side partitions I3 and I4 in front of each transverse panel 8, 9 and In. An assemblage of articles such as the cookies C and the tray may be moved manually or automatically through a suitable guide into a wrapper such as a preformed bag B of transparent material, after which the initially open end of the bag may be closed, suitably sealed, and covered with a label L which is folded over the mouth end of the bag. The initially closed end or bottom of the bag is preferably of the square-end type so that the bag can initially be distended to freely receive the tray and its contents. The bottom ledge portion 29 and the adjacent end portions of the side partitions I3 and I4 are preferably seated on the bottom of the bag so that the content of the tray is spaced from the bottom of the bag and thereby protected from injury incident to handling of the completed package as, for example, in placing the packages in packing cases and in subsequent handling in the distribution thereof.

As will be apparent from an inspection of Fig.

5, the transverse partitions 8, 9 and II] will be substantially invisible in the finished package excepting that the panel ID will be visible from the bottom of the bag while only edge portions of the side panels I3 and I4 will be noticeable on one face of the bag if these panels are of a depth corresponding to the depth of the packaged product. If the packaged product is of a greater depth than the panels I3 and I4, the product will, when seated on the bottom ledges II, I8 and I9, project upwardly beyond the upper edges of the panels I3 and I4 and thereby tend to more or less conceal such edges.

Packages made as described may advantageously be displayed either when on their sides as shown in Fig. 5, in a case, or by being hung on a rack from their label-closed ends.

The described tray structure may be made with ordinary box-making mechanisms and provides a simple one-piece partition tray structure which may be quickly set up when required for packaging purposes. Various changes in the details of the device may be made to adapt it for the packaging of various kinds and sizes of articles while retaining the principles of the invention.

We claim:

1. A partition tray comprising integrally connected side panels, bottom ledges and transverse panels, said side panels being foldably connected to the ends of said bottom ledges, and said transverse panels being foldably connected to the sides of said bottom ledges, said side and transverse panels being foldable from coplanar relation with said bottom ledges to angularly extending receptacle-forming relation thereto, said transverse panels having end portions projecting beyond the ends of said bottom ledges, and said transverse panels being provided with slits for receiving portions of said side panels.

2. A blank for forming a partition tray, said blank comprising a rectangular sheet member having slits and fold lines therein defining a plurality of bottom ledges, a pair of side panels foldably connected to said bottom ledges, and a plurality of transverse panels foldably connected to sides of said bottom ledges intermediate the ends thereof, said transverse panels projecting beyond the ends of said bottom ledges and having slits which receive portions of said side panels.

3. A blank for forming a partition tray, said blank comprising a rectangular sheet member having slits and fold lines therein defining a plurality of bottom ledges, a pair of side panels foldably connected to said bottom ledges and a plurality of transverse panels foldably connected to sides of said bottom ledges intermediate the ends thereof, said transverse panels having slitformed end portions which project beyond the ends of said bottom ledges, the ends of said bottom ledges being formed by fold lines, said transverse panels occupying all of the blank material intermediate said bottom ledges and said side panels, said side and transverse panels having fold line connections with said ledges permitting folding of said panels to tray-forming position relative to said ledges.

4. A partition tray blank as set forth in claim 3 wherein the transverse panels are slitted to receive portions of the side panels when the blank is set up to form a tray.

5. A partition tray blank as set forth in claim 3 wherein the transverse panels are provided with slits adapted to receive portions of the side panels when the blank is converted into a tray and wherein said slits are provided with flared en- 5 trance openings for guiding the side panels into said slits.

6. A blank for forming a partition tray according to claim 3 wherein the side panels are provided with ears which project into the path of movement of the transverse panels to resist unfolding thereof when the blank is set up into a tray.

7. A tray blank comprising a sheet member having cuts and fold lines defining a pair of bottom panels, a partition panel intermediate said bottom panels, said partition panel having end portions which extend beyond the ends of said bottom panels, and a pair of side panels extending transversely of said bottom and partition panels, said partition panel having an edge hingedly connected to a side edge of one of said bottom panels and having the remainder of its periphery severed from the other of said bottom panels and from said side panels, and said side panels being respectively hingedly connected to the ends of said bottom panels, the aforesaid end portions of said partition panel being formed by portions cut out of said side panels.

8. A tray blank having cuts and hinge lines therein defining bottom, side, and partition wall panels, said side and partition wall panels being integrally hingedly connected respectively to relatively angularly disposed edges of said bottom panel, said partition wall panel having an end extension which projects beyond the hinge connection between said side wall panel and said bottom wall panel, said side and partition wall panels being foldable on their hinge connections with said bottom panel to angular positions relative thereto and relative to each other, and said partition wall panel having a cut therein intermediate said end extension and the remainder of said partition panel for receiving the thickness of said side wall panel when said side wall and partition panels are folded to said angular positions.

9. A tray blank comprising a sheet member having cuts and fold lines defining in the blank, a plurality of partition panels, a pair of side panels and a bottom, there being provided integral hinge connections between each of said side panels and edge portions of said bottom and between said partition panels and spaced edge portions of said bottom, the hinge connections between said partition panels and said bottom extending right angularly relative to those between said side panels and said bottom, and said partition panels having end portions which project distances beyond the hinge connections between said side panels and said bottom which distances are less than the distance between the side panels, said side panels being foldable on their hinge connections to right angular position relative to said bottom and having portions which then extend over said partition panels, and said partition panels being also foldable on their hinge connections to said bottom to angular position relative thereto and having slits for receiving the overlying portions of said side panels to hold the latter folded as aforesaid, the slit-formed edges of said partition panels being frictionally engageable with the portions of said side panels received in said slits to hold said partition panels folded as aforesaid.

NATHAN J. WATSON. JOHN C. ROCHE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 121,947 Broemmelsiek Aug. 13, 1940 493,907 Overbaugh Apr. 1 8, 1893 2,096,315 Bemiss Oct. 19, 1937 2,205,157 Schrell June 13, 1940 

